Method for exchanging data between several stations

ABSTRACT

In a method for exchanging data between several stations belonging to various data bus systems. The data bus systems are spatially and physically separate from each other. The stations exchange data via control devices which are respectively associated with a data bus system and which are interconnected by means of a faster data bus, which said bus is not busy.

[0001] The invention relates to a method of exchanging data between a plurality of subscribers which belong to different data bus systems.

[0002] In the case of modern vehicles, several, preferably standardized, data buses are increasingly used. For engine and chassis components, for example, one system is used which is adapted to this application case; for audio and telecommunication peripheries, another bus system is used which is particularly suitable for that purpose. The data exchange between the different bus systems takes place by way of several gateways.

[0003] The attempt to transfer this bus system architecture of higher-priced vehicles to vehicles of the lower classes results in high expenditures. The reasons are, on the one hand, the basically high costs of the standard bus for engine and chassis components and, on the other hand, the cost of a gateway which are high because of the computer required for this purpose. The construction of a separate onboard power supply structure for vehicles of the lower classes results in the problem that it is largely impossible to take over individual components of the higher-priced vehicles because of a lack of compatibility. In addition, a conflict exists with respect to targets. For lowering the cost, the transmission rate can be reduced and the number of bus subscribers can be increased. The result are long response times and a low flexibility because subscriber numbers differ from one vehicle to the next. Every addition of a new subscriber, for example, as a result of a subsequently installed component, requires considerable adaptation expenditures.

[0004] It is an object of the invention to provide a method of exchanging data between the subscribers of different data bus systems which, despite a plurality of subscribers varying also in a vehicle-specific manner, has a high efficiency.

[0005] The invention achieves this object by means of the characteristics of claim 1.

[0006] The method according to the invention is modular and cost-effective. It permits the use of basic components in all vehicles covering several model series of a manufacturer. The higher-quality vehicles can be arbitrarily equipped by means of additional components without being more expensive than comparable series systems.

[0007] The prerequisite for the above is the existence of the faster data bus. This may, for example, be a data bus as described in German Patent Documents DE 19636441 A and DE 19636442 A. This data bus is distinguished by a transmission rate of more than 5 Mbits/s and is suitable, for example, for passive safety systems, which comprise air bags, belt tighteners, etc. as well as the pertaining sensor system and actuators as well as their control units.

[0008] These pertaining control units are situated at different points of the vehicle, for example, in the area of the transmission tunnel and of the B-columns, also in the door or at the steering column. All these control units are connected with the data bus which, in normal situations, thus outside a crash phase or serious misuse phase, is not very utilized. The same applies to the utilization of the processors in the control units.

[0009] According to the invention, these control units are also used for other functions. These functions are part of different function peripheries, for example, on the one hand, the electronic system of the vehicle body, and relate, for example, to the light control, the wiper control, the central locking system and the window lift mechanism control, and, on the other hand, the data bus systems for engine and chassis components.

[0010] Instead of a gateway for the transition between the data bus systems, an apportioning of the gateway functionality takes place to the two control units of the faster data bus, which already exist anyhow, with the possibility of achieving a possibly required computing performance by means of the computer which is already present in the control unit.

[0011] In addition, it becomes possible to divide each of the two data bus systems into smaller subordinate data bus systems which each, by way of one of the control units connected to the faster data bus, feed their data to this data bus or take it over from the latter.

[0012] Thus, the periphery of the electronic system of the vehicle body can be divided into the light control and the wiper control, on the one hand, and the central locking system and the window lifter control, on the other hand. These are each a component of a subordinate data bus system which, in each case, because of the minimized number of subscribers (in the case of the light control, for example, one control unit and connected consuming devices), has a sufficient response time and, also in the case of a low transmission rate, will be operable; that is, rapidly and securely provide the connected subscribers with the required data, or cause them to be provided with the required data. It also becomes possible to connect control units, which are part of the electronic system of the vehicle body or of the engine management, with higher demands on the communication, directly to the faster data bus.

[0013] In the case of such an onboard power supply system structure, a separate data bus for the components of the electronic system of the vehicle body can be eliminated because these components are either directly or by way of control units, which are connected anyhow, connected to the faster data bus. This results mainly in an elimination of the gateway functionality and thus of separate gateways.

[0014] In the single FIGURE, the data bus structure according to the invention and an onboard power supply system of a vehicle implemented thereby are shown, and the communication process carried out by means of it is described.

[0015] The block diagram illustrated in the FIGURE contains, among other things, a control unit module SGM and control units marked S1 to S4. In their entirety, these components are connected by a faster data bus “S1 bus” for a passive safety system of a transmission rate of, for example, 5Mbits/s. Control units marked “K” are connected to the control units SGM and S1 to S3, the control units marked “K” each separately forming a subordinate data bus system K-bus cluster 1, K-bus cluster 2, K-bus cluster 3, and K-bus cluster 4, assigned to the electronic system of the vehicle body. In addition, a data bus system C-Bus with subscribers C, which is assigned to the engine management, is connected to the control unit S4. The components SGM and S1 to S4 therefore contain the functions of the passive safety system, the basic functions of the electronic system of the vehicle body and the functions of the engine management. Within the subordinate data bus systems, several control units K are separately marked K1 or K2 for further explanations; within the C-bus, a control unit is marked C1.

[0016] With respect to the basic functions of the electronic system of the vehicle body, the control units SGM and S1 to S3 adapt the data of the subscribers of their connected subordinate data bus systems with respect to their format to the data format of the faster data bus. The control unit S4 implements this for the data of the C-bus subscribers. Also, the control units SGM and S1 to S4 convert the data of the faster data bus from this format to the data format of the connected subordinate data bus system or C-bus system.

[0017] For this purpose, the data of all subordinate data bus subscribers and the subscribers of the C-bus system and of the faster data bus S1 bus are provided with an unambiguous identification. The identifications of the subscribers of the connected subordinate data bus system and of the C-bus system are stored in the respective control unit.

[0018] The special advantage of the data bus structure according to the invention consists of the fact that the number of telegrams per subordinate data bus is significantly lower than in the case of a data bus with only one branch and, as a result of the small number of subscribers, the waiting time to a possible bus access is short. In addition, the subscribers of different data bus systems can communicate with one another without requiring a separate gateway computer for this purpose.

[0019] In order to obtain a system which is as flexible as possible, it is necessary that subordinate data bus subscribers (in the case of K-bus subscribers) and C-bus subscribers basically have access to all required information of the overall system. In addition, it should be possible without any basic change to “clamp over” a K-bus subscriber from one subordinate data bus to another. As a result, it is possible, for example, to place a window lifter switch block in one vehicle series in the door and in the other vehicle series on the center console.

[0020] The K-and C-bus addresses are unambiguous in the entire system. The corresponding C- or K-bus telegrams are relocated according to a fixed rule to bus telegrams of the faster data bus with corresponding unambiguous IDs. In the control units SGM and S1 to S4, encodable “mini-gateway tables” then cause the relocation of only those telegrams which are needed in the respective (sub)ordinate data bus system. During the “transfer” of one control unit from one subordinate data K-bus to another, only these gateway tables must then be recoded. The overall system behavior therefore remains absolutely unchanged.

[0021] The data exchange within the overall system is explained by an example.

[0022] The transmission of a K-bus telegram TK1 from subscriber K1 at the K-bus cluster 1 to subscriber K2 at the K-bus cluster 2 is described as an example. The faster data bus is called an S1 bus.

[0023] K1 sends telegram TK1 to K-bus cluster 1, triggered, for example, by a pressure on a key. SGM receives TK1 and wraps the telegram TK1 into the data field of an S1 bus telegram.

[0024] All S1 bus subscribers receive TK1 in the S1 bus format and check in their respective gateway tables whether TK1 is to be transmitted to the pertaining K-bus cluster. S1 unwraps TK1 from the S1 bus format and transmits TK1 to the K-bus cluster 2. K2 receives TK1.

[0025] If the telegrams of the K-bus subscribers have a longer telegram length than that of the data of the S1 bus, for example, 32 bytes of useful data in comparison to 12 bytes of useful data, a segmented, that is, repeated, transmission of defined telegram parts is required.

[0026] If, for any reason, not K2 but C1 is to receive the TK1, TK1 only has to be deleted from the gateway table of S1 and be entered into the gateway table of S4: 

1. Method of exchanging data between a plurality of subscribers which belong to different data bus systems, characterized in that the data bus systems are spatially and physically separate from one another, and in that, by way of control units each assigned to a data bus system and connected with one another by way of a faster data bus, the subscribers exchange data during the time in which the faster data bus is not busy.
 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the subscribers of a data bus system, in their entirety, are arranged in at least two spatially and physically mutually separate subordinate data bus systems, and in that each subordinate data bus system is connected by way of a pertaining control unit to a faster data bus.
 3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the control units adapt the data of the subscribers of the connected data bus system with respect to their format to the data format of the faster data bus or convert it from this format to the data format of the connected data bus system.
 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the subscribers of the data bus systems and the subscribers of the faster data bus have an unambiguous identification.
 5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the identifications of the subscribers of the connected data bus system are stored in the respective control unit.
 6. Method according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the identifications of the subscribers of the not connected data bus system(s) are stored in the respective control unit.
 7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the identifications of the (not) connected subscribers are contained in a programmable memory.
 8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that, by means of the memory content, the data transmission is controlled from the respective data bus system to the faster data bus and vice-versa.
 9. Method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, in the event of a disturbance of the data bus system, the respective control units do not transmit the data of the connected data bus system to the faster data bus. 